


Jester's Nutcracker

by pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Nutcracker AU, Pre-Relationship, could be viewed as platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 18:22:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17027700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: All Jester wanted was a friend and the Traveler gave her a nutcracker. They're basically the same thing right?





	Jester's Nutcracker

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so, Nutcracker AU cause it's Christmas and my sister-in-law liked the idea of it. This loosely follows the ballet and not the original book so no seven headed Mouse Kings in this one. This is teen because there's a little violence in it.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it.

Jester watched out the window as the snowflakes fell and danced. It was like they were putting on a show just for her. Out in Nicodranas, there were probably all sorts of parties and plays and dances celebrating the coming of Christmas, but Jester was stuck inside. It wasn’t so bad though since her mama was getting off early and they were going to spend the whole night together. But for now, all Jester had was her personal show of snowflakes.

The door opened behind Jester with a swirl of wind. “Happy holidays.” A melodic voice filled the room.

“The Traveler!” Jester jumped down from the window seat and ran to meet her favorite god/uncle figure. “Merry Christmas! Did you get me any presents?!”

The Traveler chuckled. “Christmas isn’t until tomorrow.”

“Oh right.” Jester tried to look contrite, but it was just too hard. “So what did you get me? Is it a new friend?”

With a laugh, the Traveler reached into his sleeve. “I have a very special friend for a very special girl.” He pulled out a nutcracker. A very ugly nutcracker. Except for its pale skin, eyes, and red painted hair, it was all brown. The right side of it was burned and singed. The only pretty thing about the nutcracker was its bright blue eyes.

“But it’s all burned.”

“Oh, well, if you don’t want it, I’ll just take it back then.” The Traveler started to put the nutcracker back in his sleeve.

Jester shook her head. “No, I’ll keep him. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. I’m sure he’s a fine nutcracker.”

“Oh, he is the finest of nutcrackers.” There was a smile to his voice. “Now you take good care of him.”

“I will!” Jester said.

“Perfect.”

The Traveler and Jester played games together for the rest of the afternoon, and the Traveler didn’t leave until Jester’s Mom was done with her work. “What do you have there?” the Ruby of the Sea asked.

“The Traveler gave me a nutcracker for Christmas!”

“Oh, he did?” Jester’s mom said. “That was … nice of him.” She examined the nutcracker. “Well, I sure he’ll want nuts to crack for us.”

Jester and her mom snacked on nuts and other tasty goodies while Jester told her mom all sorts of stories about the Traveler until her mom fell asleep halfway through a story. With a sigh, Jester covered her mom with a blanket. Her mom worked very hard and needed her sleep. After her mom was properly tucked in, Jester grabbed her nutcracker and snuck out of the room.

The Lavish Chateau was bustling preparing for the festivities of the next day. Jester crept along using the tricks that the Traveler showed her to not get caught. She tucked herself under the tree with her nutcracker. “See this is the best place to be on Christmas Eve and we don’t have to worry about waking up Mom.” The rest of the night Jester whispered stories to the nutcracker until she fell asleep. 

A scurrying sound woke Jester and a hand covered Jester’s mouth. “Shh, we have to be quiet,” someone with a Zemnian accent whispered. Jester looked up to discover that it was her nutcracker, but he was the same size of her. She tried to get away, but his grip was too firm. “Stop that, you’re going to get the mice’s attention.”

Jester finally got his hand off her mouth. “Mice? But I like mice.” They were small, cute and made funny noises.

“They used to be just fine until the new Mouse King came,” the nutcracker said. “Now shush.”

A troop of mice marched past and they sent a chill down Jester’s spine. These mice could not be described as small or cute. Their eyes were cold, their teeth were sharp, and their claws were stained a muddy red.

Jester couldn’t speak even if she wanted to. When the mice finally passed, she turned to her nutcracker. “What’s going on? Why are they so big? Why are you? How can you talk?”

“Actually, the question you should be asking is why are you so small,” the nutcracker said. He pointed up and above them was the Christmas tree, but it was gigantic now. “If I had to guess, I’d say magic. That’s why I can talk or rather why I’m a nutcracker.”

“You weren’t always a nutcracker?” Jester asked.

The nutcracker shook his head. “No and the Mouse King was not always a mouse either. He was a powerful, horrible wizard once and I was his apprentice, but that wasn’t enough for him. My master took my magic and turned me into this and himself into a monster.”

“And now you’re going to go and defeat him and become human again?!” Jester asked excitedly.

“What? No, that’s a deathwish,” the nutcracker said. “I wasn’t a threat to him with all my magic and now I’ve barely got any magic left. I’m just going to lie low and we’re going to try to escape the mice.”

Jester pouted and was about to say something when the nutcracker covered her mouth again. The sound of footsteps were getting close to them. The nutcracker pulled Jester behind a large present. Another troop of mice were marching by only this time one of them paused. Its nose twitched in the air and it turned its head in their direction. The mouse squeaked something to its comrades and the troop rushed forward and surrounded Jester and the nutcracker. Using tinsel and ribbons from the tree, the mice tied them up and carried them off.

Struggling, the nutcracker tried to break free, but it was useless. Despite her efforts, Jester couldn’t reach the ribbon that tied her up. The nutcracker cursed in Zemnian and Jester said a little prayer to the Traveler. Everything was silent for a moment and then a small lilting whisper was in her ear. “You are brave and you are strong, but for now be patient and then you will make it well.” A calmness passed through Jester and she stilled.

Jester and the nutcracker dropped unceremoniously in front of a throne made of odds and ends, things that were dropped underneath cabinets and forgotten there. Spools, brushes, lollipop sticks, buttons, and more. And on that throne sat the biggest, longest mouse Jester had ever seen. The Mouse King(there was nothing else it could be) glared down at them, and the nutcracker stiffened. “Ikithon,” the nutcracker breathed out.

“So the foolish nutcracker has decided to bother me after all,” Mouse King Ikithon said. He chuckled dryly. “You never were the most clever of my pupils.” 

The nutcracker flinched back from the Mouse King.

“Still a coward I see. Perhaps I should just play with your friend.” The Mouse King leered at Jester. Jester shuddered at his stare.

“Monster!” the nutcracker spat out. “Even when you were human, you were a monster!” Heat started to emanate from the nutcracker and his bindings began to fall.

The Mouse King shook his head slowly. “You just don’t understand the importance of power and what it can give you. Or what it can let you take.” He formed a fist and the nutcracker doubled over and screamed out in pain.

All the mice were focused on their king and the nutcracker. The fall had loosened the ribbons around Jester enough that she could wiggled out of them. She wanted to run and tackle the Mouse King, but the Traveler had told her to be patient, the hardest thing in the world. Jester shifted so she could get up easily but remained on the ground in case any of the mice noticed her.

Mouse King Ikithon stood up and approached the nutcracker. “I thought that being wooden would get rid of your magic, but clearly I was mistaken. All the more for me.” The nutcracker glared up at his former teacher as the Mouse King grabbed both sides of the nutcracker’s face. Screams filled the air as crackles of energy crawled up the Mouse King’s arms. 

Jester couldn’t take it anymore. She got up, took off her shoe, and threw it at the Mouse King’s head with all her might. Mouse King Ikithon stumbled back at the blow letting go of the magical hold he had over the nutcracker. Lunging forward, the nutcracker muttered something as he grabbed the Mouse King’s robes. Flames erupted all around the Mouse King. All the mice scattered running away in every direction. 

The Mouse King barely seemed to notice the fire. Instead he only had eyes for the nutcracker. He lashed out at the nutcracker raking his cruel claws across the nutcracker’s face sending him flying and falling with a clatter. Only then did the Mouse King notice the flames consuming him, but it was too late. The fire had grown too strong to put out. Mouse King Ikithon let out a cry, but it was drown out by the roar of the fire.

Jester tore her horrified gaze from the fire and ran to the nutcracker. His face had horrible gouges in it and he was still far too still. “No, no, you have to be okay! You were finally brave! You can’t die now! You’re my friend!” Jester cried. But, the nutcracker just laid there immobile like the wooden toy it was. She wept on her friend until she fell asleep drained by her sorrow.

*****************

Jester woke up in the arms of her mother. “Merry Christmas,” her mother whispered as Jester rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. 

“Merry Christmas,” Jester mumbled looking around. She was normal sized again and in her mother’s sitting room. “What happened?”

“You fell asleep underneath the christmas tree. Somebody trying to catch Santa Claus?” her mom asked.

Jester shook her head. “No, I was showing it to my nutcracker.” She sat up with a jolt. “Where’s my nutcracker?!”

“I don’t know dear. It wasn’t with you when we found you this morning.”

“The mice must have him. We have to go rescue him!” Jester jumped off her mom’s lap and ran back down to the tree and then where the Mouse King’s throne was. Her nutcracker was nowhere to be found and neither were the mice or the throne. 

Jester’s mom knelt down next to Jester. “What’s the matter?”

“My nutcracker! He was a wizard’s apprentice and the wizard turned him into a nutcracker and we defeated the Mouse King, but he broke my nutcracker!”

“That sounds like a very exciting dream,” Jester’s mom said smoothing Jester’s hair back.

“But, but it wasn’t a dream. The Traveler was there,” Jester said.

A funny look crossed Jester’s mom’s face, but it left quickly. “If you say that you don’t think it’s a dream, then I believe you. Now, I heard that they are making special pancakes for breakfast and we’ll need to hurry if you want them fresh.” 

Jester followed her mom to the kitchens, but her heart just wasn’t in it. She kept feeling like there should’ve been something more she could’ve done for her poor nutcracker. They were passing by the entrance when Jester heard something that made her pause. There was a voice that almost sounded familiar. Jester’s mom tried to usher her along, but Jester broke off to see who it was.

“You will start tomorrow,” the concierge said. “When you’re not assisting the bookkeeper, you will be expected to take and deliver messages and run errands for the staff. Do you understand?”

“Yes of course,” the familiar voice said with a zemnian accent. Its owner was a teenage boy a few years older than Jester. He was pale with red hair and the prettiest blue eyes Jester had ever seen. But what stood out to Jester was the burn on the right side of his face and the claw marks that were just starting to heal. Claw marks in the exact same place as those on her nutcracker. 

Jester dashed up to him to get a better look at him. Jester’s mother called after her, but she had to see him. Closer up it was even more obvious who he was. The boy stared at her, his eyes wide with recognition. 

“Jester,” her mom called out. “What’s the matter today? Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

Jester nodded. “Yeah, it’s just that he’s my-” But the former nutcracker shook his head and held his finger to his lips. “He’s my age,” she corrected. “Or at least he’s really close to it and there’s no one here that’s even close.”

Jester’s mom’s face softened. “Oh, of course. Perhaps when he is not busy you can show him around.”

“I would like that very much.” There was genuine smile on the boy’s face. “My name is Caleb Widogast.”

“I’m Jester!”

The concierge ahemmed loudly behind them. “I must be going,” Caleb said. “But I do want to see you again.”

Jester waved goodbye as the concierge took Caleb away. She could barely wait to see him again.

“It looks like you made a new friend,” her mom said. 

Jester froze. It was exactly what she asked for for Christmas. She whispered a grateful prayer before hurrying to catch up with her mother. Pancakes were going to be the perfect fuel for planning all the fun things she was going to do with her new friend Caleb.

**Author's Note:**

> So they're not together yet, but when they're both adults they're totally getting together and that's how I'm justifying the widojest tag.


End file.
